Kentucky Horseman Bayne Welker Sr. Dies

Kentucky horseman Bayne Welker Sr. died Jan. 13 in a Lexington nursing home after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 82.

Born in Greensboro, N.C., and a graduate of Virginia Polytechnical Institute, Welker owned and operated Locust Ridge Farm near Paris, Ky., with his wife, Libby. In 1996, both were honored as Farm Manager of the Year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club. That same year, Will’s Way, who was raised and sold by the Welkers for longtime clients and friends Robert and Lorraine Quinichett, won the Travers Stakes (gr. I ) at Saratoga.

In addition to his wife, Welker’s survivors include sons Bayne Jr., vice president of sales for Fasig-Tipton, and Bert, part owner of Allied Bloodstock.

A gathering of family and friends will be held Saturday, Jan. 21, at Clark Funeral Home, 241 Rose Hill, Versailles, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Bluegrass, 2409 Members Way, Lexington, Ky., 40504, and HOPE Clinic, P.O. Box 23, Versailles, Ky., 40383.